Release
by DMitchell
Summary: Sometimes, Death is the release from pain that people need. Hermione learns that. The warning is for language than anything else. -COMPLETE-


**Title:** Release

**Author:** DMitchell1985

**Beta:** None

**Rating:** Very light R - for language at the end of the story on Voldemort's part.

**Genre:** Drama, Angst, Romance, Tragedy

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any of it's characters. I just use them as inspiration for my stories.

**Warnings:** Cursing, character death

**Archiving/Feedback:** Both are welcome and appreciated. I must know where the story is head, and feedback should be constructive.

**Paring: **Hermione Granger/Severus Snape

**Email:** betagirl23 at yahoo dot com

**Website:** livejournal . com / users / dmitchell1985

**Author's Notes:** I wrote this story as a gift for my friend Beth. She wanted a short bit containing a true relationship between Hermione and Severus. I wrote this whether the "Obsession" world if "Obsession" had ended differently, and she got him at the end of the story. I set it a few months after that initial story to show that the war had come the climax, and Severus' double agent status had been discovered by Voldemort and his true followers. Yes, this story was posted before, but the account had a glitch, and I had to create a new account. Enjoy the story anyway.

**-**

"Hermione! No! You've got to go while you can. He will be back shortly to finish what he began," Severus stopped to catch his breath, "Go."  
  
"I won't leave you. I made a promise to you when we first agreed to see one another. To love and protect you to the best of my ability. Not that you need my protection, but I wanted you to know that I am willing to aid you in any way that I can. I would have made it a vow too," Hermione sobbed, clutching to the dying man as her only salvation.  
  
Severus forced his eyes to meet his lover's. She was young, so young. "She should be with someone young and foolish, and utterly undeserving of her, not me. I don't want to leave her like this," he thought morosely.  
  
"Hermione," a hoarse whisper.  
  
"Severus," a sniffle, "I love you."  
  
A regretable sigh, "And I. . . I. . . " A fit of coughs overtakes the weakened figure.  
  
"It's okay Severus, I know." Hermione huddled closer to her shaking lover, rubbing his back in widening circle to comfort him. "Shh," she whispered quietly, "Everything is going to work out. Now, let's get you out of here before he comes back."  
  
"Hermione," another agonizing cough, "there's blood in my lungs, and he's broken most of my bones. There's nothing anyone could do. I'll be gone in a few minutes."  
  
"But Dumbledore, or Fawkes, or Madam Pomfrey, they could do something," Hermione protested, drawing Severus into her arms, her hot tears hitting his cooling skin. "I love you, and I don't want to leave you here to die here. Alone."  
  
"No. . . "  
  
"What else would you have me do?"  
  
"This body is dying, you have to save yourself. You have to save Hogwarts."  
  
"As far as I am concerned, this war ended for me when you fell to Voldemort's hand. Let it comsume me too."  
  
"You don't know what you are saying."  
  
"I do," she brought her lips to her beloved's, "and I do not withdraw my promise. In Life, or in Death, I am yours. Only yours."  
  
Severus coughed again, lolling his head to the side to allow the blood to drain from his mouth. "I want you to live," he told her, holding her eyes with his own.  
  
"And I want you to not face Death alone," she pressed their lips together again, "For all eternity."  
  
"For. . . for. . . for," Violent hacking shook the fallen professor's body. His gasps became more urgent, and his eyes lost any means of focus.  
  
"Severus!"  
  
Severus wheezed, his eyelids lowering in resignation. There would be no more fight. The feel of Hermione's arms around him was all the comfort he needed to relax, and welcome his end."  
  
"Severus. . ."  
  
Scruffled footsteps in the hallway outside the classroom's door drew Hermione's attention away from the man she once refered to her heart and soul. She strained her eyes to capture even a fleeting glimpse of the danger edging near.  
  
The ruffling of numerous cloaks saturated the air in their signs of foreboding. They were here.  
  
_Severus. . .  
  
_Hermione allowed her gaze to touch her lover's face once more before it rose to meet her Fate.  
  
"What have we here, gentlemen?" an empty voice asked teasingly, "A little whore I see, and my worthless spy."  
  
Hermione steeled her trembling body, and confronted the blood red glare of the Dark Lord, Voldemort.  
  
"You're the whore!" Hermione spat, "You and your band of cowards! Picking off denfenseless men, women, and children. You make me sick."  
  
Voldemort glowered at the youth a moment, then an icy stream of laughter poured from his heartless chest, freezing the breath and blood in Hermione's body, "Miss Granger, I am afraid it does not matter what you think. I know that you hoped to become Mrs. Snape, but I would never allow one of my Death Eaters to marry a Mudblood like you. It was bad enough that Severus was fucking you."  
  
He sighs almost wistfully, "Perhaps in death then. Goodbye Miss Granger. _Avada Kedavra!"  
_  
A swoop of his wand, a rush of green light.  
  
Hermione gasps, "Severus!"  
  
All that can be heard are the sounds of a great wind and her body thudding to the dirty floor through the peals of the Dark Lord's laughter.  
**  
-  
  
The End  
  
**


End file.
